Film INDEX
Intruders (15) ●●●●● (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, US/UK/Spain, 2011) Clive Owen, Carice van Houten, Daniel Brühl. 100min. A young boy finds his worst nightmares bursting into the real world as a hooded demon called HollowFace comes sweeping out of the shadows. Cleverly constructed and suspenseful but fades when pitted against superior genre fare like The Orphanage and Pan’s Labyrinth. See review, page 65. Selected release from Fri 27 Jan. The Iron Lady (12A) ●●●●● (Phyllida Lloyd, UK, 2011) Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant. 105min. Lloyd’s biopic features a brilliantly convincing lead performance from Streep, assisted by terrific work from the make-up and prosthetics departments, and makes some interesting observations about old age and the cost of power, but offers no significant insights on the lady of the title. See review, page 65. General release from Fri 6 Jan. The Itch of the Golden Nit (PG) (Nick Park, Sarah Cox, UK, 2011) Voices of Catherine Tate, Ralf Little, David Walliams. 28min. Conceived and drawn entirely by children, the film tells the tale of 11-year old Beanie who’s got to return the Golden Nit to the sun in order to save the universe. Discovery Family Film Club double bill with A Matter of Loaf and Death. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. J Edgar (15) ●●●●● (Clint Eastwood, US, 2011) Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts. 137min. Biopic of the head of the FBI for nearly half a century, who concealed a complex life, filled with secrets, not least his alleged homosexuality. See review, page 64. General release from Fri 20 Jan. Jack Goes Boating (15) ●●●●● (Philip Seymour Hoffman, US, 2010) Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Ortiz, Richard Petrocelli. Hoffman’s directorial debut sees him go back to his theatrical roots and reveals him as a director of considerable sensitivity, with the predictable but well- observed tale of a painfully shy New York limo driver who is set up by his friends with a young woman. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Junkhearts (15) (Tinge Krishnan, UK, 2011) Eddie Marsan, Candese Reid, Tom Sturridge. 95min. Three very different people find their lives coming together by chance in this weighty indie film. Followed by a Q&A with director Tinge Krishnan. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Killing Zoe (18) (Roger Avary, France/US, 1993) Eric Stoltz, Julie Delpy, Martin Raymond. 96min. Roger Avary’s Tarantino-produced debut revolves around a bank heist-gone-wrong and is full of excess but little charm. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. KinoKlub: Screening & DJ Party (18) (Patrick Bokanowski, French, Various) 90min. Screening from the newly formed KinoKlub world surrealist cinema collective, of works by French filmmaker Patrick Bokanowski, followed by a party with DJ and bar. Institut Français d’Ecosse, Edinburgh. The Lady (12A) ●●●●● (Luc Besson, France/UK, 2011) Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis, Jonathan Raggett. It takes some doing to rob the biopic of Nobel prize- winning Burmese pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi of drama and tension, but that’s exactly what Besson manages here. The story of her romance with Oxford academic Michael Aris is mishandled too, making this an entirely wasted opportunity. See Yeoh interview on list.co.uk. Selected release. Last Train Home (Gui tu lie che) (12A) (Lixin Fan, Canada/China/UK, 2009) 85min. In springtime, millions of Chinese return home to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This film follows one family, caught up in this annual migration. Followed by a discussion on urbanisation and the family. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Last Waltz (U) ●●●●● (Martin Scorsese, USA, 1978) 117min. Scorsese’s film of the Band’s final concert performance has become the benchmark by which rockumentary makers measure themselves (and usually find themselves 70 THE LIST 5 Jan–2 Feb 2012
wanting). Everyone’s here, from Robbie Robertson and the boys to Dylan, Clapton, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Muddy Waters, Neil Young . . . the list goes on. macrobert, Stirling. Les Enfants du Paradis (PG) (Marcel Carne, France, 1945) Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur. 190min. Marcel Carne’s classic tragic tale centres on ill- fated lovers, theatre mimes, attractive actresses and a woman-about-town who calls herself Garance. Great stuff, if a little overpoweringly emotive for a modern audience. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Live from the Met: The Enchanted Island (E) (Phelim McDermott/Julian Crouch, US, 2012) Lisette Oropesa, Danielle de Niese, Joyce DiDonato, Placido Domingo, David Daniels. 215min. A brand new libretto devised and written by Jeremy Sams, transplanting the lovers from A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the magical island setting of The Tempest. Selected live screenings on Sat 21 Jan. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG) ●●●●● (Eric Darnell, US, 2008) Voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen. 89min. The animals are put on an flight back to their zoo home, only to crash land in Africa. The going native theme is expanded, with a good-time fascist lemur (Cohen) getting the best lines and the penguins the best laughs. With clever riffs and unexpected poetry, this is a welcome prospect. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Magic Trip (15) (Alison Ellwood/Alex Gibney, US, 2011) 107min. This road trip documentary follows the antics of Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg and others as they make their way across America. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Manufactured Landscapes (U) ●●●●● (Jennifer Baichwal, Canada, 2006) 86min. Baichwal’s thoughtful documentary explores the work of the photographer Edward Burtynsky, whose large-scale colour photos examine the impact of man’s industrial processes upon landscapes around the world, on a trip through Asia. This is a film which encourages the viewer to gaze at its images, and feel unsettled by its eerie beauty. Followed by a discussion about Chinese industrialism and its impact. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Margaret (15) (Kenneth Lonergan, US, 2011) Anna Paquin, Mark Ruffalo, Jean Reno. 150min. A 17-year-old girl struggles with the fact that she may have been involved with an accident that took someone’s life and tries to set things right. Selected release. Margin Call (15) (JC Chandor, US, 2011) Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Spacey. 107min. A strong cast leads this thriller about an investment bank during the early stages of the financial crisis. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Martha Marcy May Marlene (15) (Sean Durkin, US, 2011) Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes. 102min. Martha escapes a hippie cult and returns to her family who take her in. But their help may not be enough as she struggles to separate her dreams from reality. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Mary Poppins (U) ●●●●● (Robert Stevenson, UK, 1964) Julie Andrews, Dick van Dyke, David Tomlinson. 139min. Great songs, wonderful Technicolor animation in the fantasy scenes, and despite (or perhaps because of) Dick Van Dyke’s appalling London accent, this is, like Mary, ‘practically perfect in every way’. Eastwood Park Theatre, Glasgow. Millions (12A) (Danny Boyle, UK/US, 2004) Alexander Nathan Etel, Lewis Owen McGibbon, James Nesbitt, Daisy Donovan. 98min. Young brothers Damien (Etel) and Anthony (McGibbon) find a bag of pound notes but they only have ten days to spend it. Shallow Grave director Boyle and writer Frank 24 Hour Party People Cottrell Boyce’s first foray into family entertainment is an absolute joy. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (12A) (Brad Bird, US, 2011)
Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton. The Impossible Missions Force is disowned but allowed to escape by the US government after being implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, leaving Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his four-man team to go rogue in an attempt to clear its name and find the real culprit. General release. Moneyball (12A) ●●●●● (Bennett Miller, US, 2011) Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman. 133min. Based on the true story of Billy Beane (Pitt), general manager of Oakland Athletics baseball team, who, faced with a low budget, used advanced statistics instead of traditional sports wisdom to choose players. Despite some sharp dialogue and strong moments, it relies too much on sports movie clichés. macrobert, Stirling. A Monster in Paris (U) (Bibo Bergeron, France, 2011) Mathieu Chedid, Vanessa Paradis, Gad Elmaleh. 90min. In 1910 Paris, a shy film projectionist and an inventor join forces with an eclectic band of misfits to embark on the hunt for a monster that is terrifying the locals. General release from Fri 27 Jan. Mother and Child (15) (Rodrigo García, US/Spain, 2009) Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Kerry Washington. 125min. This drama follows a 50-year-old woman, the daughter she gave up for adoption and an African American woman looking to adopt a child. See review, page 66. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Mr Tree (Hello! Shu Xian Sheng) (12A) (Jie Han, China, 2011) Zhuo Tan, Baoqiang Wang. 88min. Mr Shu (Chinese for Tree) is a man with learning difficulties. In this allegory of China’s rapidly changing economy, he loses his job but transcends community hierarchies. Followed by a discussion on Chinese cinema and the country’s changing economy. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. My Week with Marilyn (PG) (Simon Curtis, UK, 2011) Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh. 101min. This adaptation of Colin Clark’s memoirs from the set of The Prince and the Showgirl focuses on the one week he spent with Marilyn Monroe (Williams). Selected release. New Year’s Eve (12A) (Garry Marshall, US, 2011) Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher. 118min. Marshall’s follow-up to Valentine’s Day focuses on a group of couples and singles in New York and how their lives intertwine on the titular day. General release. The Night of the Hunter ●●●●● (PG) (Charles Laughton, US, 1955) Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lilian Gish. 93min. Mitchum is unforgettable in this atmospheric tale (sadly Laughton’s only film as director) in which he plays a psychotic priest chasing two children for the money stolen by their father. James Agee’s script and Laughton’s stark monochrome visuals mark out an allegorical conflict between good and evil but there’s plenty haunting imagery to make this a mesmerising cinematic experience. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. The Nine Muses (tbc) (John Akomfrah, Ghana/UK, 2010) 90min. This experimental film combines archive imagery with footage of Alaskan landscapes to examine the experience of immigrants to the UK since the 1960s. Selected release from Fri 20 Jan. Nosferatu The Vampire (15) (Werner Herzog, West Germany, 1979) Klaus Kinski, Lisabella Adjani, Bruno Ganz. Disappointingly turgid remake of the expressionist classic, whose main redeeming feature is the splendid make-up and mesmerising presence of Kinski. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow.
✽✽ Off to the Asylum in an Old Black Maria (18) (Various, Various)
70min. A programme of dark and unusual animated shorts, with an emphasis on the surreal: one tells of a man with a fish’s head, another of a crocodile called Gerold who is being evicted from his flat. See caption, page 69. Part of Manipulate Visual Theatre Festival. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
✽✽ The Old Donkey (tbc) (Rui Jun Li, China, 2010) Xing Chun Ma, Chun
Yan Sun, Da Zhi Wang. 112min. Drama set in the northern Chinese province of Dansu, in which a group of poor farmers are driven off their land by a businessman building a chemical plant. See caption, page 43. Part of Takeaway China. CCA, Glasgow. Parked (15) (Darragh Byrne, Ireland/Finland, 2010) Colm Meaney, Colin Morgan, Milka Ahlroth. 94min. Three outsiders band together to form an unlikely friendship which changes their lives forever. macrobert, Stirling. Peter Pan (PG) (PJ Hogan, US, 2003) Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Sumpter, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Ludivine Sagnier, Olivia Williams, Richard Briers. 105min. Clap your hands if you believe in fairies! One hundred years on from the original play, J M Barrie’s enduring classic is brought to life by Australian director PJ Hogan (Muriel’s Wedding, My Best Friend’s Wedding). Sumptuous in its production, the effects dreamed up by Moulin Rouge’s director of photography are magical, but the real hook (if you’ll pardon the pun) is in the characterisation, where Hogan goes right to the heart of Barrie’s psychological issues. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness.
✽✽ The Pickpocket (15) (Zhang Ke Jia, Hong Kong/China) Hongwei
Wang, Hao Hongjian, Zuo Baitao. 105min. A young man is faced with a decision between his pickpocketing past and a married future with the girl he loves. See caption, page 43. Part of Takeaway China. Gilmorehill Centre, Glasgow. Pitch Black (15) (Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Vin Diesel, US, 2000) David Twohy. 109min. When a ship crash-lands on a mysterious planet, ten survivors must survive attacks from the indigenous flesh- eating aliens. Amongst their rank is Richard B Riddick, a dangerous convict now let loose. Preceded by a Q&A with Muriel Gray, chaired by Mark Millar. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. A Place In The Sun (PG) (George Stevens, US, 1951) Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters. 122min. Stevens brought Theodore Dreisler’s novel An American Tragedy up to date but, as a consequence, lost most of the social satire and replaced it with romantic melodrama. Clift is the young man, tied down by a pregnant working class girl, who tragically tries to better himself by falling in with a snobbish socialite (Taylor). Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Puss in Boots (U) ●●●●● (Chris Miller, US, 2011) Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis. 90min. Puss (Banderas) and Humpty Dumpty (Galifianakis) attempt to steal magic beans from Jack and Jill, with Hayek as feline accomplice Kitty Softpaws. Given the slackening quality of the Shrek franchise, the surprise is that this imaginative romp is one of the year’s best animated family films. General release. Race Across the Sky: The Leadville Trail 100 (E) (Frank Matson, US, 2009) 73min. Documentary about the tough 100-mile cycling race with participants including Lance Armstrong, Dave Wiens and Rebecca Rusch. macrobert, Stirling. Rajapattai (tbc) (Susindran, India, 2011) ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram, Deeksha Seth, Mithra Kurian. Tamil action drama revolving around the practice of land grabbing. Selected release. Real Steel (12A) (Shaun Levy, US/India, 2011) Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lily, Kevin Durand. Rocky meets Transformers in this boxing ‘bots family drama/actioner. macrobert, Stirling. Red Light Revolution (tbc) (Sam Voutas, China, 2010) Jun Zhao, Vivid Wang, Xiduo Jiang. 91min. When a luckless man opens a sex shop in Beijing he starts a sexual revolution in his stuffy neighbourhood. Selected release from Fri 20 Jan. Resistance (PG) (Amit Gupta, UK, 2011) Michael Sheen, Andrea Riseborough, Kimberley Nixon. 92min. Thriller set in an alternate version of World War II, as Britain is occupied by the Nazis and the female inhabitants of a Welsh village awaken to discover all their husbands missing. The